Laser optical apparatus

ABSTRACT

There is provided a structure for reducing optical loss in an optical apparatus (homogenizer) for making the intensity distribution of a laser beam uniform. 
     In a multi-cylindrical lens (a glass substrate having a multiplicity of cylindrical lenses formed thereon) used in a homogenizer, convex cylindrical lenses and concave cylindrical lenses are arranged alternately, and the boundaries between the cylindrical lenses have a smooth structure. This makes it possible to reduce scattering of beams that has occurred at the boundaries between the cylindrical lenses.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/373,522, filed on Feb. 24, 2003,(now U.S. Pat. No. 6,728,039), whichis a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/823,043, filed on Mar.29, 2001 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,538,819), which is a divisional of U.S.application Ser. No. 09/510,596, filed on Feb. 22, 2000 (now U.S. Pat.No. 6,212,012), which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.09/041,152, filed on Mar. 9, 1998 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,239,913), whichclaims the benefit of a foreign priority application filed in Japan onMar. 10, 1997, as Japan Application No. 09-072741. This applicationclaims priority to all of these applications, and all of theseapplications are incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention disclosed in this specification relates to opticalapparatuses utilizing a laser such as apparatuses for performing anannealing process by means of irradiation with laser beams (laserannealing apparatuses) and, more particularly, to an laser annealingapparatus projecting beams with a large area which is capable ofproviding an uniform effect of irradiation. Such a laser annealingapparatus is used in semiconductor manufacturing steps and the like.

Laser beams with a large area are used in apparatuses including exposureapparatuses for forming fine circuit patterns such as semiconductorcircuits. Especially, ultraviolet laser beams are used for formingcircuits with design rules on a sub-micron basis.

2. Description of the Related Art

A techniques for crystallizing amorphous silicon films by irradiatingthem with laser beams has been known. Another known laser irradiationtechnique is to irradiate silicon films with laser beams in order torecover them from damage to crystallinity thereof due to theimplantation of impurity ions and in order to activate the implantedimpurity ions. Such techniques are referred to as “laser annealingtechniques”.

A typical example of the latter technique is the annealing of the sourceand drain regions of a thin film transistor. Those regions are annealedby irradiating them with laser beams after ions of impurities, typicallyphosphorus or boron, are implanted into those regions.

Such a process of irradiation with laser beams is characterized by thefact that there is substantially no thermal damage to a substrate.

The feature of giving no thermal damage to a substrate reduceslimitations on the materials to be subjected to such a process and isadvantageous, for example, in forming a semiconductor device on asubstrate made of glass or the like which has low heat resistance. Thisfeature is especially important in the fabrication of active matrixliquid crystal displays which recently have an increasing range ofapplication.

For an active matrix liquid crystal display, it is desirable to use aglass substrate from the viewpoint of cost and the requirement for alarger surface area.

A glass substrate can not withstand a heating process at temperatures ashigh as 600° C. or more or 700° C. or more. An effective technique foravoiding this problem is to perform annealing after the crystallizationof a silicon film and the implantation of impurity ions as describedabove by irradiating it with laser beams.

Even when a glass substrate is used, a method employing irradiation withlaser beams results in substantially no damage to the glass substrate.It is therefore possible to use a glass substrate in fabricating a thinfilm transistor having a crystalline silicon film.

There has been another proposal to use laser beams as a light source forforming fine circuit patterns taking advantage of the fact that laserbeams are coherent light. Especially, the use of an ultrasonic lasermakes it possible to obtain fine patterns having sizes in sub-microns orsmaller.

However, since laser beams have small beam areas when they are generatedby a laser apparatus (hereinafter they are referred to as “sourcebeams”), it is common to process a large surface area by scanning laserbeams across it. This results in problems including low uniformity ofthe effect of the process in a surface and a long period of timerequired for the process. Especially, common source beams result in asignificant problem from the viewpoint of uniformity of the effect ofprocessing when used as they are because they have non-uniformdistribution of light intensity.

Under such circumstances, a technique has been proposed wherein sourcebeams are processed into beams having highest possible uniformity andthe beam size is changed in accordance with the shape of the surfacearea to be processed and the like. Common beam shape is rectangular orlinear shape. Such an arrangement makes it possible to perform uniformlaser annealing over a large surface area.

FIG. 1A shows an example of a laser irradiation apparatus in whichsource beams are processed. For example, an excimer laser is used as thelaser oscillator. Laser beams are oscillated by decomposingpredetermined gases by means of RF discharge to produce an excited statereferred to as “excimer state”.

For example, in a KrF excimer laser, an excited state KrF* is obtainedby high voltage discharge using Kr and F as raw material gases. Whilethis excited state is unstable as indicated by its duration in the rangefrom several nano-seconds to several micro-seconds, KrF in the groundstate is more unstable. This results in inverted population wherein thedensity in the excited state is higher than the density in the groundstate. As a result, induced radiation occurs, which makes it possible toobtain laser beams having relatively high efficiency.

The laser oscillator is not limited to an excimer laser, and other pulselasers or continuous lasers may be used. In general, pulse lasers areappropriate for the purpose of achieving a high energy density.

As shown in FIG. 1A, a source beam emitted by the laser oscillator isprocessed into an appropriate size by a beam expander formed by aconcave lens or a convex lens.

The beam then enters an optical device referred to as “homogenizer”which includes at least one lens device (multi-cylindrical lens) havinga multiplicity of cylindrical lenses (generally in a parabolicconfiguration). As shown in FIG. 1B, a conventional multi-cylindricallens includes a plurality of cylindrical lenses 1 through 5 (which areall convex lenses) formed on a single sheet of glass.

In general, two multi-cylindrical lenses are used and arranged so thatthey are perpendicular to each other. Obviously, the number of themulti-cylindrical lens may be one or three or more. When onemulti-cylindrical lens is used, the non-uniformity of a source beam inone direction is dispersed. When two or more multi-cylindrical lensesare formed in the same direction, the same effect as increasing thenumber of the cylindrical lenses can be achieved.

When a beam passes through the multi-cylindrical lens, the beam can beconverted into a uniform beam having a distributed energy density. Theprinciple behind this will be described later. Thereafter, the beam isprocessed by a converging lens into a desired shape or, if needed,deflected by a mirror to be projected upon a sample (see FIG. 1A).

A description will now be made on the principle of a conventionalhomogenizer (multi-cylindrical lens) and a problem of the same which isthe problem to be solved by the invention. In order to avoidcomplication, discussion on an optical basis will be focused on only onesurface. Laser beams that have passed through a multi-cylindrical lensare as shown in FIG. 2A.

Here, the multi-cylindrical lens L includes five convex cylindricallenses 1, and the beam incident upon each of the cylindrical lenses isrefracted by the cylindrical lens. After being converged at a focalpoint, the beams are diffused. This process results in a region in whichall of the beams that pass through the respective cylindrical lenses aremixed (mixed region).

Let us assume here that the distribution of the optical intensity of thebeams is polarized, resulting in differences in the intensity of thebeams incident upon the respective cylindrical lenses. In the mixedregion, however, such polarization is scattered because the beams thatpass through the respective cylindrical lenses are mixed. That is, theoptical intensity is made uniform. It is thus possible to obtain beamshaving less distribution of optical intensity (see FIG. 2A).

When we look at the paths of the beams that pass through themulti-cylindrical lens, the beams can be regarded as beams emitted frompoint light sources F (i.e., focal points) arranged at equal intervals(distances “a”) (see FIG. 2B).

The same effect can be achieved by providing a convex cylindrical lens 1₁ on one side of a glass substrate and a convex cylindrical lens 1 ₂ onthe other side at an interval “a”. In FIG. 3A, the path of a beam thathas passed through the cylindrical lens 1 ₁ is indicated by the solidline, and the path of a beam that has passed through the cylindricallens 1 ₂ is indicated by the broken line. In this case, a mixed regionis obtained as in the case shown in FIG. 2A (see FIG. 3A).

When we look at the paths of the beams that pass through themulti-cylindrical lens, as shown in FIG. 3B, the beams can be regardedas beams emitted from two kinds of point light sources F₁ and F₂ (i.e.,focal points) (see FIG. 3B).

In the case of the conventional multi-cylindrical lens as describedabove, since there is an angle at the ends of each cylindrical lens(boundaries between itself and other cylindrical lenses), beams havebeen scattered at such regions, which has resulted in optical loss. Thismeans that the laser beams can not be effectively utilized and the beamintensity is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been conceived taking the above-describedproblem into consideration. A multi-cylindrical lens according to thepresent invention is characterized in that not only convex cylindricallenses but also concave cylindrical lenses are used; the convexcylindrical lenses and concave cylindrical lenses are alternatelyarranged; and the cylindrical lenses smoothly continue to each other.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a multi-cylindrical lenshaving the above-described configuration is provided in a homogenizerwhich is inserted and used between a laser oscillator and an object tobe irradiated in an apparatus for forming a laser beam having a linearor rectangular beam shape.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in a laser opticalapparatus having a laser oscillator and a homogenizer to which a laserbeam emitted by the laser oscillator is input, a multi-cylindrical lensused in the homogenizer have the above-described configuration.

In the above-described multi-cylindrical lens, the state of the curvedsurface of the convex cylindrical lenses may be the same as the state ofthe curved surface of the concave cylindrical lenses. Further, at leasttwo multi-cylindrical lenses may be provided in the homogenizer, and thetwo multi-cylindrical lenses may be provided in directions perpendicularto each other.

The configuration of a multi-cylindrical lens according to the inventionis as shown in FIG. 1C. Specifically, while any conventionalmulti-cylindrical lens has been formed by convex cylindrical lenses 1through 5 (see FIG. 1B), concave cylindrical lenses 2 and 4 are providedbetween the convex cylindrical lenses 1 and 3 and between the convexcylindrical lenses 3 and 5, respectively, and the boundaries betweenthose cylindrical lenses are smooth and continuous (see FIG. 1C).

The cylindrical lenses can be smoothly connected to each other by makingthe curvature (the shape of the curved surface) of a concave cylindricallens identical to a convex cylindrical lens adjacent thereto. When thecylindrical lenses are parabolic lenses, there is provided a structurewhich is a combination of parabolic surfaces having differentorientations. The paths of laser beams in such a multi-cylindrical lensare as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B when illustrated in the same manner asin FIGS. 2A and 2B and FIGS. 3A and 3B.

Here, the multi-cylindrical lens L includes three convex cylindricallenses 1 ₁ and two concave cylindrical lenses 1 ₂ as shown in FIG. 1C.Beams incident upon the convex cylindrical lenses are diffused afterbeing converged at focal points. On the other hand, beams incident uponthe concave cylindrical lenses are simply diffused as if they arediffused from certain points. As a result, there is obtained a regionwhere all of the beams that pass through the cylindrical lenses aremixed (mixed region).

The above-described effect can be similarly achieved even when theconvex cylindrical lenses and the concave cylindrical lenses havedifferent curvatures (a factor that determines a focal distance or theshape of the curved surface of a lens). In addition, optical loss can bereduced in a multi-cylindrical lens having such a configuration becausethere is no structure that scatters beams (an unsmooth region such as aprotrusion) (see FIG. 4A).

When we look at the paths of the beams that pass through themulti-cylindrical lens, the beams can be regarded as beams emitted fromtwo kinds of point light sources F₁ and F₂ (i.e., focal points) as thoseshown in FIG. 3B (see FIG. 4B).

When the convex cylindrical lenses and the concave cylindrical lenseshave the same curvature, the boundaries of the paths of the beams thatpass through the concave cylindrical lenses pass through the focalpoints F₁ of the adjacent convex cylindrical lenses. A descriptionfollows on this point. When convex cylindrical lenses and the concavecylindrical lenses have the same curvature, the angle of convergence bythe former (the angle at which the beams are diffused after passingthrough the focal points) is the same as the angle of diffusion by thelatter when collimated beams are incident.

Specifically, when the focal distance of a convex cylindrical lens 1 ₁is represented by x as shown in FIG. 5A, collimated beams that passthrough a concave cylindrical lens 1 ₂ can be regarded as beams emittedfrom a point F₂ which is at the distance x toward the side at which thebeams enter. Let us consider the path F₁A of a beam that passes throughthe lower end of the convex cylindrical lens 1 ₁ and the path F₂A of abeam that passes through the upper end of the concave cylindrical lens 1₂. Then, since the angles of diffusion and convergence of the beams thatpass through those lenses are the same, the line F₂A overlaps the lineF₁A. That is, the boundary of the path of the beam passing through theconcave cylindrical lens passes through the focal point F₁ of the convexcylindrical lens adjacent thereto (FIG. 5B).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic view of an optical system of a laser irradiationapparatus.

FIG. 1B is a schematic view of a conventional multi-cylindrical lens.

FIG. 1C is a schematic view of a multi-cylindrical lens according to thepresent invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic views showing beam paths in a conventionalmulti-cylindrical lens.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic views showing beam paths in a conventionalmulti-cylindrical lens.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic views showing beam paths in amulti-cylindrical lens according to the present invention.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are views showing beam paths of convex lenses andconcave lenses.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

An optical system of an embodiment of the present invention will now bedescribed. A laser irradiation apparatus according to the presentembodiment has the same basic configuration as that shown in FIG. 1A.The shape of a laser beam before incidence upon a homogenizer isexpressed by 6 cm×5 cm. In this embodiment, a multi-cylindrical lens isused as the homogenizer. Here, only the multi-cylindrical lens will bedescribed.

In the configuration shown in this embodiment, the multi-cylindricallens is formed by arranging six concave cylindrical lenses (having awidth of 5 mm) and five convex cylindrical lenses (having a width of 5mm) alternately to divide an incident beam into about ten beams. Thelength of the cylindrical lenses in the longitudinal direction thereofis 7 cm. The multi-cylindrical lens is made of quartz.

In the present embodiment, the length of a liner laser beam that isfinally projected is 12 cm in the longitudinal direction thereof and thewidth is 0.5 mm. As a result, the laser beam is enlarged by a factor of2 in the longitudinal direction and is reduced by a factor of 100 in thedirection perpendicular thereto after the laser beam passes through thehomogenizer. All of the convex cylindrical lenses and concavecylindrical lenses are spherical lenses and have the same curvature. Thefocal distance of the convex cylindrical lenses is 5 cm (see FIG. 1A).

The use of the invention disclosed in this specification makes itpossible to obtain a uniform laser beam having a large area required ina laser process used for the fabrication of a semiconductor device andthe like.

It should be understood that the foregoing description is onlyillustrative of the invention. Various alternatives and modificationscan be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from theinvention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace allsuch alternatives, modifications and variances which fall within thescope of the appended claims.

1. A laser system: a laser oscillator for producing a laser beam; ahomogenizer provided between the laser oscillator and an object to beirradiated, the homogenizer comprising at least one multi-cylindricallens; and a beam expander provided between the laser oscillator and thehomogenizer, the beam expander comprising at least one lens, wherein theat least one multi-cylindrical lens comprises a plurality of convexcylindrical lenses and concave cylindrical lenses arranged alternately,wherein a convex surface of one of the convex cylindrical lenses and aconcave surface of one of the concave cylindrical lenses adjacent toeach other are smoothly continuous without having an angle therebetween,and wherein the at least one lens has a concave surface opposed to thelaser oscillator.
 2. The laser system according to claim 1, wherein thelaser beam has a linear beam shape on the object to be irradiated. 3.The laser system according to claim 1, wherein the laser beam has arectangular beam shape on the object to be irradiated.
 4. A lasersystem: a laser oscillator for producing a laser beam; a homogenizerprovided between the laser oscillator and an object to be irradiated,the homogenizer comprising at least one multi-cylindrical lens; and abeam expander provided between the laser oscillator and the homogenizer,the beam expander comprising at least one lens, wherein the at least onemulti-cylindrical lens comprises a plurality of convex cylindricallenses and concave cylindrical lenses arranged alternately, wherein aconvex surface of one of the convex cylindrical lenses and a concavesurface of one of the concave cylindrical lenses adjacent to each otherare smoothly continuous without having an angle therebetween, andwherein the at least one lens has a convex surface opposed to thehomogenizer.
 5. The laser system according to claim 4, wherein the laserbeam has a linear beam shape on the object to be irradiated.
 6. Thelaser system according to claim 4, wherein the laser beam has arectangular beam shape on the object to be irradiated.
 7. A lasersystem: a laser oscillator for producing a laser beam; a homogenizerprovided between the laser oscillator and an object to be irradiated,the homogenizer comprising at least one multi-cylindrical lens; and abeam expander provided between the laser oscillator and the homogenizer,the beam expander comprising a first lens and a second lens, wherein theat least one multi-cylindrical lens comprises a plurality of convexcylindrical lenses and concave cylindrical lenses arranged alternately,wherein a convex surface of one of the convex cylindrical lenses and aconcave surface of one of the concave cylindrical lenses adjacent toeach other are smoothly continuous without having an angle therebetween,and wherein the first lens has a concave surface opposed to the laseroscillator and the second lens has a convex surface opposed to thehomogenizer.
 8. The laser system according to claim 7, wherein the laserbeam has a linear beam shape on the object to be irradiated.
 9. Thelaser system according to claim 7, wherein the laser beam has arectangular beam shape on the object to be irradiated.
 10. A lasersystem: a laser oscillator for producing a laser beam; a homogenizerprovided between the laser oscillator and an object to be irradiated,the homogenizer comprising at least one multi-cylindrical lens; and abeam expander provided between the laser oscillator and the homogenizer,the beam expander comprising a first lens provided between the laseroscillator and the homogenizer and a second lens provided between thefirst lens and the homogenizer, wherein the at least onemulti-cylindrical lens comprises a plurality of convex cylindricallenses and concave cylindrical lenses arranged alternately, wherein aconvex surface of one of the convex cylindrical lenses and a concavesurface of one of the concave cylindrical lenses adjacent to each otherare smoothly continuous without having an angle therebetween, andwherein the first lens has a concave surface opposed to the laseroscillator and the second lens has a convex surface opposed to thehomogenizer.
 11. The laser system according to claim 10, wherein thelaser beam has a linear beam shape on the object to be irradiated. 12.The laser system according to claim 10, wherein the laser beam has arectangular beam shape on the object to be irradiated.
 13. A lasersystem: a laser oscillator for producing a laser beam; a homogenizerprovided between the laser oscillator and an object to be irradiated,the homogenizer comprising at least one multi-cylindrical lens; a beamexpander provided between the laser oscillator and the homogenizer, thebeam expander comprising a first lens and a second lens; and at leastone conversing lens provided between the homogenized and the object tobe irradiated, wherein the at least one multi-cylindrical lens comprisesa plurality of convex cylindrical lenses and concave cylindrical lensesarranged alternately, wherein a convex surface of one of the convexcylindrical lenses and a concave surface of one of the concavecylindrical lenses adjacent to each other are smoothly continuouswithout having an angle therebetween, and wherein the first lens has aconcave surface opposed to the laser oscillator and the second lens hasa convex surface opposed to the homogenizer.
 14. The laser systemaccording to claim 13, wherein the laser beam has a linear beam shape onthe object to be irradiated.
 15. The laser system according to claim 13,wherein the laser beam has a rectangular beam shape on the object to beirradiated.
 16. A laser system: a pulse laser; a homogenizer providedbetween the pulse laser and an object to be irradiated, the homogenizercomprising at least one multi-cylindrical lens; and a beam expanderprovided between the pulse laser and the homogenizer, the beam expandercomprising a first lens and a second lens, wherein the at least onemulti-cylindrical lens comprises a plurality of convex cylindricallenses and concave cylindrical lenses arranged alternately, wherein aconvex surface of one of the convex cylindrical lenses and a concavesurface of one of the concave cylindrical lenses adjacent to each otherare smoothly continuous without having an angle therebetween, andwherein the first lens has a concave surface opposed to the pulse laserand the second lens has a convex surface opposed to the homogenizer. 17.The laser system according to claim 16, wherein the pulse laser has alinear beam shape on the object to be irradiated.
 18. The laser systemaccording to claim 16, wherein the pulse laser has a rectangular beamshape on the object to be irradiated.
 19. A laser system: a continuouslaser; a homogenizer provided between the continuous laser and an objectto be irradiated, the homogenizer comprising at least onemulti-cylindrical lens; and a beam expander provided between thecontinuous laser and the homogenizer, the beam expander comprising afirst lens and a second lens, wherein the at least one multi-cylindricallens comprises a plurality of convex cylindrical lenses and concavecylindrical lenses arranged alternately, wherein a convex surface of oneof the convex cylindrical lenses and a concave surface of one of theconcave cylindrical lenses adjacent to each other are smoothlycontinuous without having an angle therebetween, and wherein the firstlens has a concave surface opposed to the continuous laser and thesecond lens has a convex surface opposed to the homogenizer.
 20. Thelaser system according to claim 19, wherein the continuous laser has alinear beam shape on the object to be irradiated.
 21. The laser systemaccording to claim 19, wherein the continuous laser has a rectangularbeam shape on the object to be irradiated.